2024-05-15
News Categories : Committee News
Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means stated that a report on whether there has been an increase in student attendance in primary schools and also to provide a report on schools with less than 100 students with the mid-day meal program and to provide the number of students in primary grades and number of students given meals in schools where there are only less than 100 students. Apart from the said, the Committee Chair instructed the Ministry of Education to give a report on the progress regarding the entire program.
The above matters were discussed when the Parliamentary Committee on Methods and Procedures met at the Parliament premises under the chairmanship of Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka.
It was disclosed during the Committee on Ways and Means which took into account the meal provided to school children in government schools has increased from eleven hundred thousand to sixteen hundred thousand in 2024. Accordingly, the Rs. 80 allotted for each child has been increased to 110.
It was also disclosed that the criteria have been prepared regarding the quality of the meal and the follow-up regarding the meal program will is done by the Provincial Department of Education, Regional Educational Services officers and public health inspectors.
It was reported that 600,000 school students come to school without breakfast, and after the implementation of this meal program, the attendance of school children has increased.
It was also stated that 16.6 billion rupees are spent on school meals per year, but there is a shortfall of about 4 billion rupees. The Chair stated that although Sri Lankans abroad are very willing to provide assistance for the program of providing meals to school children, they are reluctant to provide such assistance directly to the government. The Chair therefore instructed to find out whether there is any legal obstacle for providing such assistance to teachers' unions and school development societies. Furthermore, the Chair instructed to prepare a system for receiving complaints based on social media and stated to use a system such as regular reporting on the quality of food provided through WhatsApp.
In addition to the said, it was stated that under the Aswasuma welfare program, payments to nearly 1,000,000 families in May 2024, out of which payments have been paid to 313,947 families and 653,047 families under the category of extreme poor and poor respectively was made.
It was also revealed that 200,000 eligible people have not been able to receive such payments despite being eligible for such due to various reasons such as problems with national ID cards and accounts. Further, the Committee inquired about the progress in resolution of appeals.
The Chairman of the Committee recommended to the Welfare Benefits Board to provide a report on the methodology and criteria inclusive of the correct information pertaining to the amount paid under each category in May this year, the number of benefited families, the number of appeals submitted, the number of new beneficiaries to be selected, etc.
Moreover, since there is an issue as to which category of official is responsible for implementing Aswesuma in the Grama Niladhari domain, a report on the said, and a report on the statistics of those who have provided false information to get the benefits, as it has been revealed that a large number of people have given false information and obtained the benefits from Aswesuma was requested to be provided by the Committee Chair.
The Committee Chair inquired how the instructions given earlier by the Ways and Means Committee to connect the loan scheme for small and medium scale industries of the development centers and commercial banks to this program have been implemented. The Chair asked to provide an information report on the proposed family enforcement program with relevant time limits to his committee.
The monthly stipend given to the elderly was also discussed and the chairman instructed to give a detailed report on the cost of the monthly stipend to the kidney patients to the Committee on ways and means.
State Minister Hon. Sisira Jayakody, Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Hon. S. M. M. Muszhaaraff, Hon. Sanjeeva Edirimanna, Hon. Udayana Kirindigoda, and Hon. Sudath Manjula, were present at the Committee meeting held.
2025-11-27
The Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, Hon. Member of Parliament (Dr.) Najith Indika, stated that the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board must take the lead in streamlining the procurement process and easing existing legal barriers related to importing equipment used to test drivers for drug use.These matters were taken up during the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, which met in Parliament on 20th November 2025 under the chairmanship of Hon. MP (Dr.) Najith Indika.The Committee reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals and special project implementations of the Ministry of Public Security & Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government.Officials from the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau highlighted the difficulties in conducting roadside drug tests due to the lack of necessary equipment.The Committee Chair noted that the government has prioritized eliminating drug abuse and stressed the importance of regulating drivers who operate vehicles under the influence of drugs. He further stated that essential equipment required to identify drug users must be made readily available and that legal barriers affecting their procurement process and importation should be addressed promptly.Police officials also informed the Committee that notable progress has been made in implementing budgeted programmes related to drug prevention. Officials from the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board briefed the Committee on the progress achieved under their purview as well.The Committee additionally reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government. The Ministry Secretary reported significant progress and noted that many suspended development projects have now resumed.Hon. Members of Parliament G.G. Ponnambalam, Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Dharmapriya Wijesinghe were also present at the committee meeting.
2025-11-27
The appointments of three chairmen of state-owned institutions were approved by the Parliamentary Committee on High Posts yesterday (Nov. 26).Accordingly, the appointments of Dr. D.B.P.H. Dissabandara as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, Mr. M.D.C.A. Perera as the Chairman of the National Lotteries Board, and Eng. P.V.A. Hemalal, as the Chairman of Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka Limited, were approved by the Committee on High Posts.The meeting was chaired by Hon. Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and a group of members of the committee participated in this meeting.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection recently (Nov. 18) reviewed 12 performance reports and annual reports of institutions functioning under the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.The Committee met in Parliament on the 18th under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika.Accordingly, the Committee examined the 2022, 2023 and 2024 performance reports of the Registrar’s Office of the Supreme Court, the 2023 and 2024 performance reports of Judges of Supreme Court, the 2022 Annual Report of the Supreme Court Complex Management Board, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.In addition, the Committee reviewed the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Official Languages, the 2020,2021,2022 & 2023 Annual Reports of the Official Languages Commission, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Institute of Language Education and Training, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Prisons, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Debt Conciliation Board.The Committee also inquired into audit observations related to these institutions, and relevant officials presented their explanations. Attention was also drawn to the current activities of these institutions, as well as existing issues and shortcomings. The Committee Chair informed officials to notify the Committee if amendments to the legal framework governing these institutions were necessary to ensure more efficient service delivery, and assured the Committee’s support in facilitating such changes.Further, regarding the 2024 Annual Performance Report of the Department of Community Based Corrections, it was noted that the Auditor General’s report highlighted the incomplete construction of the building for the Legal Aid and Community Correctional Office in Puttalam. The Committee requested a report on this matter.Accordingly, approval of the Committee was granted for all performance and annual reports reviewed, except for the 2023 and 2024 Annual Performance Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.Hon. Members of Parliament Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Major General (Retd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara, along with a group of government officials, participated in the Committee meeting.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital has examined the operation of private universities in Sri Lanka and the issues relating to their recognition by the University Grants Commission (UGC).The matter was discussed when the Committee met in Parliament on 21 November 2025, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage.During the discussion, the Committee Chair highlighted the emergence of institutions awarding degrees of inadequate quality and the resulting harm caused. He noted that many such institutions operate with profit-making as their primary objective rather than providing quality education. The Chair stressed the importance of ensuring that the entire process, from student admission to awarding of degrees remains under the supervision of the UGC.The Vice Chair of the UGC, expressing his views, underscored the need to establish a Higher Education Commission to regulate and monitor private universities and other degree-awarding institutions. He explained that such a body would enable the creation of comprehensive data systems and facilitate links with universities worldwide, allowing access to essential information on institutional standards and programme quality. This, he noted, would help ensure accurate decision-making when granting approval to prospective private universities. These comments were further supported by the Additional Secretary (Non-State Higher Education) of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training, and by officials of the UGC.The Committee also focused on issues related to state universities, scholarships offered for foreign degree programmes, and other related matters.Hon. Members of Parliament Krishnan Keleichelvi, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage (Attorney-at-Law), Chanaka Madugoda, Thurairasa Ravikaran, and Sunil Rajapaksha, along with officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training and the UGC, were present at the discussion.
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